Discover Adelaide & South Australia

Adelaide combines exceptional food and wine with art, shopping, culture and fantastic weather. Adelaide has had a resurgence in the past few years with a vibrant small bar scene reinvigorating the city's laneways. Famous chefs and high-end boutiques have made Adelaide their new home.
It’s full of vibrant cafés and eclectic restaurants as well as a strong events scene that incorporates all manner of tastes – from the Adelaide Fringe to the Santos Tour Down Under. There are always things to do in Adelaide – it just depends on what tickles your fancy!
One of the many great things about Adelaide is its accessibility. One minute you're in a bustling, exciting city, and then in 20 minutes time you can be relaxing in the sun on some of the world's most beautiful beaches.

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Start planning your pre or post touring here with Tourism Australia's guide to some of our most popular destinations

South Australia's world-class events showcase our exceptional food and wine, sport, art and vibrant city life. In the space of a few months, Adelaide is host to the massive Adelaide Fringe Festival, Adelaide Festival of Arts, WOMADelaide, Tour Down Under and Adelaide 500.

The party doesn’t stop in Adelaide though. Our regions will find any excuse for a celebration, with events and festivals showing-off the best of our state's food, wine, fashion, art and design all year-round. Check out what's on this month and this weekend...read more

ABORIGINAL CULTURE

The Kaurna are the original people of Adelaide and the Adelaide Plains. The area now occupied by the city and parklands – called by the Kaurna Tarntanya (red kangaroo place) – was the heart of Kaurna country. Before 1836 it was an open grassy plain with patches of trees and shrubs, the result of hundreds of generations of skillful land management. Kaurna country encompassed the plains which stretched north and south from Tarntanya and the wooded foothills of the range which borders them to the east...read more

VALLEYS & WINERIES

Adelaide is the wine capital of Australia with more than 200 cellar doors. We’re sure you’ve heard of the Barossa and McLaren Vale, but there is so much to explore, so close to home. Adelaide has been recognised as one of the Great Wine Capitals of the World – a network of nine major global cities which share a common asset: their internationally renowned wine regions. With 200 cellar doors only, a short drive away from the CBD, and 18 world-renowned wine regions nearby, it's no surprise why...read more

FOOD & DRINKS

When it comes to food and drink, South Australia truly is the land of legends. From culture-rich Adelaide to the lush Adelaide Hills; the bountiful Barossa to the Eyre Peninsula; our state has been named a Great Wine Capital of the World and is home to an all-star cast of world-famous chefs, winemakers and producers. Adelaide is a culinary playground with a smorgasbord of cuisines on offer. Steeped in history and drenched in class, wash it all down at booming city bars, regional distilleries, cellar doors and wineries...read more

ARCHITECTURE

In the early decades of European settlement, architecture was used as a public relations tool to project an impression of stability and prosperity to potential immigrants and investors in Britain. This formality, combined with the geometric juxtaposition of urban subdivisions and parkland, gives much of Adelaide and North Adelaide a character unlike that of any other Australian city. Adelaide has some of the most beautiful and historical architecture in the country, particularly the heritage stone villas. It also has some exciting new modern developments, like the amazing new SAHMRI and Royal Adelaide Hospital buildings. Before high-rise buildings came to dominate the skyline, Adelaide was often known as the ‘city of churches’, reflecting the visual prominence of church towers in a very flat city...read more

KANGAROO ISLAND

There’s an unmistakable sanctity about Kangaroo Island. Fly with Qantas direct from Adelaide or take your car on the Sealink Ferry. As you step off onto the island, it's impossible not to relax. Kangaroo Island is known as nature’s playground. Hit the road and you’ll find out why. Wildlife abounds as friendly pubs, accommodation and restaurants give-way to towering cliffs, wild plains and impeccably clear waters. Follow the road less travelled and discover unique wildlife, mouth-watering food and wine, breathtaking scenery and a laid-back lifestyle...read more

SHOPPING

In the city and surrounding suburbs you’ll find artisan markets, a wonderland of unique boutiques, sprawling shopping malls and gorgeous heritage arcades. Rundle Mall is our first port of call. With over 700 retailers in one convenient pedestrian-friendly strip, it’s Adelaide’s busiest, most popular shopping destination. Discover boutiques selling local designs and higher-end clothing stores on Rundle Street, one-off, luxe homewares on King William Road, the sprawling Central Market in Adelaide's CBD, design and produce markets in Adelaide's suburbs and major shopping outlets at Burnside and Glenelg... read more

SPORTS

Located in the heart of Adelaide, the iconic Adelaide Oval is South Australia's best sporting and entertainment venue with cutting-edge facilities and a total capacity of 53,000. Since 1871, the Oval has played host to countless sporting matches and world-class events from The Ashes cricket test series and AFL football, to international superstars and stadium spectaculars. Further afield you'll find stunning golf courses, lush parks and sporting fields, cutting-edge stadiums and raceways...read more

FLINDERS RANGERS & OUTBACK

Driving through the Flinders Ranges and Outback, you’d be forgiven for thinking you were navigating the unexplored face of Mars. You’ll find dusty red roads bordered by towering ancient cliffs and deep craters. Take an aerial tour of Kati Thanda–Lake Eyre or drive yourself along the Aboriginal Dreaming Trail. Marvel at Wilpena Pound, a shockingly large amphitheater, created through erosion over millions of years. It is surrounded by ancient mountain ranges, spectacular gorges and sheltered creeks...read more

MUSEUMS & GALLERIES

With 38,000 pieces from around the world in its collection, you could easily spend a whole day lost in the halls of the Art Gallery of South Australia. In the city’s West End, the Jam Factory Contemporary Craft and Design studio is a centre of excellence for the arts with four fabulous exhibition spaces and a retail gallery. Visit the French Renaissance-style Mortlock Wing at the State Library or lose yourself in history at the South Australian Museum. Get a hefty dose of culture at our massive Adelaide Fringe Festival, internationally-acclaimed Adelaide Festival, WOMADelaide and the Adelaide Fashion Festival...read more

BEACHES

Bathers, towel and sunscreen? Check. Thongs? The beach is waiting!
While some may still think of SA as the City of Churches, we know better – South Australia’s beaches are one of our best-kept secrets. We’ve done a little research and found six of the best places to sink your toes in sand...read more

MURRAY RIVER, LAKES & COOROONG

The Murray River, Lakes and Coorong region embodies natural beauty and boasts a wealth of native produce, breathtaking scenery and Australian wildlife. The Murray River flows more than 2500 kilometres from the Snowy Mountains in New South Wales, through the Riverland, down to Murray Bridge and onto the Lakes and Coorong in South Australia. The River is around 130 million years old and is rich with Aboriginal history, culture and heritage. Relax on a leisurely houseboat holiday or explore Australia’s greatest waterway – The Murray River...read more